*Charlotte*
It was the first time Brant and I were going to be apart since I came back. It was officially December, only a day before Christmas Eve. Dad was already in Hollywood working on his newest movie, and I was to headed to airport right now with Brant to hop on the private jet and fly out to California to spend some of Christmas with him.
We had worked out the plan with dad that I would fly down today, stay Christmas Eve, open presents on Christmas morning, and fly back home to be with the Young's the rest of Christmas Day. It would be a four hour flight there, I'd get there just in time to visit my dad on set for lunch.
Brant was driving as slow as possible, ten miles under the speed limit slow, trying his best to savor our last couple of moments together before I left him. I cuddled up to his arm, sad that he couldn't even think of anything to talk about on the trip there, he was that upset I was leaving.
I was going to miss him so much, but he couldn't always up and leave when I have to. His responsibilities back at the farm needed to be met in order to pay the bills around his home. The dedication he had only showed me what a great husband he was going to be in the future. I lifted my head from my shoulder, seeing the airport in the distance. His hands clenched around the steering wheel, tensing at the thought of me leaving. He was making it so hard for me to go.
Nothing he displayed on the drive to the airport compared to what happened when he was walking me towards my father's jet with my suitcase in his hand. He walked as if someone had tied concrete blocks to the bottom of his feet, and his hold on my hand was so tight that it went numb. I would only be gone for one full day and we were about to fall apart.
We reached the steps to the jet, and he reluctantly handed me my suitcase. He looked away from my eyes and down to his boots. "I'm going to miss you," I heard him murmur. I leaned forward, placing a kiss on his forehead. I got him to look at me and felt my heart break when I saw his glistening eyes he had been trying to hide from me. "I know," he slightly laughed, nuzzling his nose against mine. "It's just a day and I'm being a baby, but I can't help it. I'm scared you're not going to come back."
I linked my arms around his neck, tugging him in for a long passionate goodbye kiss. He urgently moved his lips with mine, expressing through it how much he really was scared I wouldn't return to his arms. He quietly begged me to let him take me back home where he knew I was safe. I softly cried at how desperate he sounded and kissed his sweet lips some more.
"I'll be back," I whispered into our kiss. "I always come back."
He nodded, smiling some when he reached up to wipe my damp face. "I can't wait for you to see you're Christmas present when you get back," he grinned. "You're going to love me for forever, babe."
I was going to love him for forever regardless of what the present was. "Give me a hint," I pouted. "You've been torturing me for days with this."
He leaned in, caressing my lips with his for a short moment. "See you later, Beautiful," he whispered, stepping away from me.
"Brant!" I whined, watching him slowly walk away from me. He was killing me with this huge Christmas surprise I was suppose to be getting. It must be huge if he didn't even want to give a hint as to what it is.
"I love you!" he yelled when he turned around, walking backwards to his truck. "Have a safe flight, honey biscuit! Call me when you land!"
I giggled at the nickname, waving goodbye. "I love you!" I echoed back, blowing him a kiss afterwards. He smiled at me, shooting me a wink to tell me he received that kiss loud and clear. I climbed up the stairs, greeting Jives at the front who was preparing to have us up in the air in no time. I always felt safer when he was flying this plane. He shooed me to go sit down and to buckle up. I did as he said and watched Brant from the jet window.
He had gotten into his truck, but was waiting for me to be airborne before he even thought of leaving. I waved, wondering if he could see me. I saw him wave back and knew then that he could. He mouthed something that I couldn't understand at first, that was until he repeated himself and I saw his lips mouth, 'hurry home.'
Home will always be here with him. I couldn't wait to come home and I hadn't even left yet. This was going to be the longest day or so of my life, but I was also anticipating on seeing my dad. It was truly going to be a bittersweet day.
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The set was awesome!
I was treated like a real celebrity as soon as I stepped onto the scene. They didn't even give me a visitor's pass when I reached the filming destination, they had been expecting my arrival and knew exactly who I was after one glance my way.
I didn't know what to expect when I got here, but it definitely wasn't getting tugged onto a moving golf cart by the two cute twin guys co starring in this action movie with my dad. I was starstruck for a moment, mostly because it was the same twins I have been a big fan of ever since I saw them take part in Moonlight, the greatest werewolf movie ever.
I was sitting in between the two twins, dumbfounded, excited, and a whole lot confused. They were laughing like crazy, cackling away as they sped past the working people who shook their heads at the two reckless boys. The twin driving, he cut around sharp corners like we were all wearing a seatbelt to protect us, which we weren't. I held on to the seat like my life depended on it.
"Charlotte, you're even more beautiful in person!" the twin I knew as Caleb told me from the passenger side. They were identical twins, but I've watched their movie so many times that I knew Caleb had a small mole above his eyebrow, his brother Cale didn't.
I felt my cheeks burn at his compliment. "Please tell me my dad hasn't been showing pictures," I awkwardly laughed.
"Oh definitely!" Cale, the need for speed driver on my left exclaimed. "There have been loads of pictures! He's been talking about you all day!"
I sunk in my seat. There was no telling which pictures he has shown. I was hoping anything below middle school hadn't been past around. "Country looks nice on you," Caleb complimented. "We're from the country too you know!"
It was beautiful sunny California, I got to break out of my winter clothes and into a girlie floral skirt that had splashes of beige, turquoise, brown, and soft oranges. I paired it with a beige tank top, a turquoise beaded necklace, and a pair of cowboy boots. It was definitely going to be one of my favorite outfits during the summer back home.
"You guys are from the little town of Riverdale, Tennessee," I spoke up. "You went to Riverdale high were you fell in love with the drama club. you graduated, received scholarships for Yale, and got your big break when you tried out for Moonlight." They shot me amused looks. I shrugged. "What?"
"You're totally a fan," they said in unison.
I really was. I scoffed at their accusations and focused on where they were they were taking me. It seemed like we were headed into a field off the road where trailers were set up for the actors and or actresses could be prepared for their scene by wardrobe and makeup.
Off road is where we went in the golf cart, heading towards what looked like the place they were filming. Everyone behind the camera was looking up, so naturally I leaned forward to see out the windshield, following their gaze up to the cliffs. There I saw my father, attached to a harness and ready to dive off the cliff.
You can't begin to imagine how terrified I was to see him up there. Was this what he done while he was away? I never knew he did his own stunts! He could get killed if something went wrong! Cale drifted across the dirt road, sliding us across the gravel and to a rough stop. Caleb got out first and I quickly got out to watch my father risk his life for this movie. I ruffled my hair worriedly, but remained quiet because the director yelled action.
"He'll be fine," Cale whispered in my ear when he reached my side. He gave my back a comforting pat, then nodded to the cliff so I would watch. I looked back up to my father just when he tossed himself over the edge. He didn't yell, he remained silent as he gracefully fell down to the huge safety inflatable below. He fell perfectly in the middle.
"Cut!" The director yelled. "Great job, Phillip!"
My father's head popped up from the safety contraption that had caught him as snug as a baseball would to a glove. He smiled as one of the crew members helped him up and helped him out the harness that had been attached to a safety wire. I didn't wait any longer to give him the hug I've been dying to give him since he left days ago, I ran up to him with my own smile, hugging him tight to show how much I've missed him.
"There's my beautiful little girl!" he exclaimed. I giggled as he lifted me off the ground in a hug, showering my face in embarrassing kisses that I would never take for granted. "Did you get settled into the hotel okay?"
"Yep," I happily gleamed.
"Did you meet the boys?" I nodded, glancing back at them. They were too busy talking with the director to notice. "Did you get along okay?"
I gave him a curious look. Something was definitely up. "We got along fine, why?"
My father sheepishly smiled and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well, you see, they play my sons in the movie, and the director thinks we will be able to portray it better if they stay with me and actually become like sons to me. It's worked out great so far."
I groaned, glancing back at them again. They were really nice guys, but I had wanted to spend Christmas alone with my dad, not with my dad and my suddenly adopted twin brothers. "I know, Charlotte, I understand it if you're angry, but they don't have anyone to spend Christmas with except each other. They're orphans, Char, so I was thinking that this happened for a reason, that maybe they needed us to be there for them."
My father gave my forehead a kiss, his kind heart forcing me to own up to what the right thing to do here was. We needed to spend Christmas with the twins to show them what Christmas was like with a family. "Alright," I sighed. "I guess I can pardon this. I'll have to go shopping for more presents though."
My father smiled, squeezing me in another bear hug. "You are the greatest daughter any man could've ever asked for! I'm taking you and the boys out for a special lunch." I didn't care where we went, just as long as I could get some food. I've been on a flight for four hours and made the mistake of skipping breakfast before I came here. I will never make that mistake again.
My father, the twins, and I ended up going to a food truck where the greasiest most tastiest food could be purchased at a discounted rate. Somewhere along the line I did connect with the boys as if they were my brothers, it wasn't hard to do when you saw how brotherly they were to each other.
My father treated them like sons, he spoke highly of them in front of me. I listened to him brag about how talented the boys were and then blushed when he would brag to the boys about how wonderful I was. They agreed that I was pretty wonderful, and I blushed some more as I stuffed my face with the sloppy burger I had ask for.
"So about this Brant character..." Caleb mentioned with a raised brow. "Do Cale and I have to go back to Kentucky with you and give him the talk, or is he behaving?"
I laughed at how serious they looked at me. "Don't worry about Brant, boys. Brant has loved her ever since she was little, he wouldn't dare hurt her," my dad spoke up. "Besides, his father Jack would probably kill him before anyone if he did hurt her. That man is serious when it comes to Charlotte."
It was true, Jack was serious about the things that happened to me, he had punched my father at Thanksgiving. I still couldn't wrap my head around that one. I think it's because I was almost like his first daughter when I was born. Brant and I were inseparable, but that bond created something between us and our parents as well. It was odd, but nice to know that you could count on more than one set of parents to guide you through life, especially if you lost one parent and your best friend still had that person you needed.
"I'm sure you have a picture, let me see this guy you love and I'll decipher if he's right for you," Caleb insisted.
I rolled my eyes, but fished my phone out of my left boot and searched my photos for a good one of Brant. It wasn't until now did I come across some photos Brant must have taken on his own. In one he was flexing in my bathroom mirror. I couldn't help but laugh at how much of a goof he was.
Caleb snagged my phone and looked at the photo. He looked to me, then back to the photo, before returning my phone to me. "I'm sorry to say this, Phillip," he sighed. "But they're going to be together for a long time."
Phillip sighed, though a smile tugged up on his lips. "I'll forgive him for taking away my little girl someday, I suppose."
I overlooked my father, wondering how on earth could Caleb clearly see the long term bond Brant and I have by looking at a photo of Brant flexing in my bathroom mirror. "What makes you think that Brant and I are going to be together for a long time?" I questioned.
Caleb sighed as if I was a desperate woman pleading for him to use his fortune telling gifts to tell me more. "It's easy," he told me in a duh tone. He took my phone, sliding over to me as he zoomed in on the picture to the corner the mirror. The flash from the phone revealed a secret message written on the glass.
"Forever and always, B and C," I read aloud.
"You're too short to reach up that far, clearly he wrote this in the fog on the mirror after he got done showering one day. He's one of those, think about you all the time types."
I really needed to call him. I grabbed my phone, quickly leaving the picnic table full of guys to call him. Greasy fingers or not, I swiped through my contacts and called the Young's house. I had tried calling earlier today when I landed, but I guess everyone was busy and not around.
This time someone answered. A unfamiliar female voice said a sweet, "Hello, Young's residence." Nothing hit me until after I greeted her and curiously asked who was speaking. "Kori, Kori Saunders."
Her name echoed in my head. I warily smiled to myself. "Can you tell Brant that I made it to California okay?"
"Kori? Who's on the phone?" I heard Brant ask on the other end.
"It's Charlotte," she chirped.
I heard the phone being scrambled around and then he softly said, "Hey, babe..."
"I've gotta go," I murmured. I ended the phone call, wondering in my mind where my heart had gone, because it definitely wasn't in my chest, there was too big of a hole there to have anything pumping to keep me alive.
"Charlotte! Lets go!" one of the twins called. "We've gotta hurry back and wrap up what shooting we can do while there's still sunlight."
I looked at my phone, immediately shutting it off when I saw that the Young's home phone number was flashing across the screen. I wasn't going to get mad, upset, or even jealous. Every time I let my emotions take over like that I end up looking like a psychopath. I nearly destroyed the father daughter relationship with my dad because I became overwhelmed with emotions. I just needed some time alone and then I would be okay. If I returned home and he said he didn't want to be with me anymore, I would kill him, and then do my best to move on.
"You okay, sweetheart?" my father asked, coming over and wrapping me in a hug. "Is there something wrong?"
I looked up at my dad, for once feeling the need to open up to him. "Kori Saunders just answered the phone at the Young's place..."
"The same Kori Saunders that Brant went on a date with?" he asked while leading me to the SUV we had driven here.
"Yeah," I exhaled. "I'm trying not to overreact, but I guess suddenly hanging up on him wasn't the best thing to do."
My father's cellphone rang, alerting him that someone was calling. He pulled his cell out of his pocket, we both peeked over at the called ID to see who it was. "You're right, Char, you need to talk to him about it, not be a drama queen. You two are almost legal adults, it's time you started acting like it." My father flashed me his cell as it rang again. I went to take it, but he pulled it out of reach. "But I say we let him sweat it out for a little while."
My dad could really be evil when he wanted to be, it was one of the things I loved about him. I'd apologize to Brant later, but right now I had to go watch my father and my new brothers blow up things for their movie.
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AN:)
This was just a quick chapter I was able to type up.
All of my readers that watch Teen Wolf should know who Charlie and Max Carver is :) If you don't recognize them by that name, you'll know them as Ethan and Aiden. For the non Teen Wolf watchers, I suggest you google this pair of adorable twins because that's who Caleb and Cale look like in my mind.
Trivia Question winner from last time is: Mrsalicelady!
Instead of a trivia question, we are going to see who can guess the present. Comment what you think Brant is going to get Charlotte for Christmas. Hints will be dropped in the upcoming chapters about what it is.